Steering rudder



May 20, 1952 H. F. SANDS 2,597,189

STEERING RUDDER FiledApril 7, 1949 INVENTOR. 9/ 1/3/ i? Sano/s @mm/MMV ATTORNEYS Patented May 20, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT (.)FFICE-` .2,597,189 ,STEERING apprise Henry F. Sands, Cranston, R. I.

Application April 7, 1949, Serial No. 86,003

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to a steering rudder primarily for a vessel, although it is also one which may be applicable to an aeroplane or any body moving through a iiuid.

A rudder is usually hinged about its leading edge so as to swing about the axis of the hinge to one side or the other for directing a ship, which is moving through the fluid, to one side or the other. In operation of a vessel the water which engages the rudder displaces usually over the upper or lower end as well as beyond the edge which describes the maximum circle about the axis of the rudder post.

One of the objects of this invention is to confine and direct a iluid which usually passes over the end of the rudder so that it will have a greater eect on the vessel or air ship being steered by directing this fluid over the edge of the rudder distant from its swinging axis.

Another object of this invention is to utilize a wing section at the end of the rudder which will swing toward the leading surface of the rudder as it is swung so as to direct the fluid along the body of the rudder and beyond the edge distant from the axis.

Another object of the invention is to cause the Wing section which is so utilized to move as the rudder is moved so as to move toward the leading face of the rudder against which the fluid impinges Yfor directing the movement ofthe vessel or aeroplane.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement so that the wing section may be selectively used in the manner above described or used in the conventional form of a rudder by a simple shift of controlling mechanism.

With these and other objects in view, the in- Vention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation somewhat diagrammatically illustrated of a rudder suitable for ship operation.

Figure 2 is a sectional View through the upper part of the steering mechanism.

Figure 3 is an end view of substantially line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a collar member. a

In proceeding with this, invention, I hinge to one of the vertical ends of the rudder, such for instance as the top end of a wing section which Will swing to make an angle with either surface of the rudder and provide a mechanical arrangement to swing this wing toward the leading face of the rudder as the same is swung about its axis, .thus causing the wing to tend to prevent the movement of the fluid in which the rudder operates from moving upwardly over the end of the rudder as the same is swung. I also provide a locking mechanism which will prevent this swing of the wing section causing the wing section to operate in a normal manner.

With reference to the drawings, I designates the ait portion of the keel of a ship having a rudder post II pivotally mounted at the end of the keel, such for instance as having a bearing I2 at tsrlower end in the foot I3. This rudder post has an upper bearing in the sleeve I2 which is mounted in the tubular barrel I4 which in turn is secured to the keel I0 by a bracket I5 having lag screws I6 at either of its ends extending into the keel I0. This bracket encircles the barrel I4 and is held securely to the barrel by a set screw I'I. The sleeve I2 has a bearing I8 formed in the inwardly extending portion IS from the barrel I4 so as to rotatably support the sleeve. A collar 20 is locked within the barrel I4 and secured rigidly to the sleeve I2 by set screw 2| which may pass through opening 22 in the barrel wallso that it may be rotated relatively thereto. This collar is slotted as at 23 and pivotally mounted in this slot as at 24 is a locking member 25 which has a finger 26 to extend through slot 21 in the sleeve I2 and into slot 23 in the rudder post or shaft II, so that when in the position shown in Figure 2 the shaft II and its sleeve I2 and collar are locked to move together rotatably with the barrel I2. y

When the key 25 is swung about its pivot 24 through from its position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure l, the nger 26 is withdrawn from slots 21-28 while the portion 29 moves into the slot 3|] in the barrel and serves to hold the sleeve I2 and its collar 20 against rotation when the rudder post II is rotated about its axis.

In order to turn the rudder post a tiller like member 3I` has its hub secured to the upper end of the rudder post Il, such for instance as by a key 33 entering a slot in the post. The tiller is held in place by nut 34 threaded on end 35 of the rudder post and this nut is locked in position by the check nut 36. A slot in the tiller hub serves to receive the locking member' 25 in the positionA shown in Figure 2.

The main body section 40 of the rudder is secured to the rudder post I I so as to swing therewith. At the upper end of the rudder there is.,

hinged a wing section 4I being secured on a pintle shaft 42 which extends through eyes 43 and 44 of the wing section and eyes 45 and 46 of the body section so as to be hingedly mounted. This pintle shaft 42 is fixed to the wing section 4I so that as the pintle shaft 42 rotates, the wing section 4I will be swung about the axis of the pintle shaft 42. Suitable metallic parts 4I are secured to the two sections for the mounting of the hinge eyes in position.

The lower end of the sleeve I2 has a bearing in plate A secured in barrel I4 and is equipped with a rack in the form of a bevel gear 48 fixed thereto while the inner end of the pintle shaft 42 is equipped with bevel gear 49 to mesh with the bevel gear 48. When the rudder post I I is swung and rack element 48 held stationary by locking member 25 being in slot 30 thereby locking sleeve I2 to barrel I4, the pinion 49 will be forced to rotate over rack element 48 causing rotation of the shaft 42 and a swinging of the Wing section from the position shown in full lines in Figure 3 to either dotted lines position shown at 50 or 5I. It will thus be seen that since pinion 49 is forced to move over a stationary rack element, the shaft 42 will swing wing section 4I toward the leading face of the rudder as the rudder post I I is moved; that is, if the rudder is swung to the right as viewed in Figure 3, the wing section 4I will move toward dotted line position 50 as the body section surface 52 will be the leading surface of the rudder in its movement to the rightY whereas if the rudder is swung to the left the leading surface will be 53 and the Wing section 4| will be swung in the position as indicated in dotted lines in this figure. This swinging of the wing section will take place when the locking member 25 is in the position shown in Figure 1. However, if the locking member is in the position shown in Figure 2, then the gear 48 will move with the sleeve I2 and no relative moving of the gears will take place, thus causing both sections of the rudder to move in unison as the usual rudder` is operated in a ship. A collar B (see Fig. 5) encloses the rack element 48 and pinion 49 telescoping the barrel I4 at its upper end and provided with bars 56 at its lower end fixed to the rudder.

Mechanical means may be provided for shifting the locking means as shown in Figure 2, which will comprise a lever 60 pivoted as at 6I on the bracket 'I0 and having an arm 62 with a link 63 extending upwardly and fastened to a sleeve 64 which is slidably mounted on the barrel and will engage the portion 29 of the locking member 25 and move it upwardly from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2. This actuation may take place through a plunger 66 operated by a solenoid 61 in response to electrical energization by a control switch 68 to close the electric circuit from a source of energy 69. When it is desired to release the locking member 25 the switch may be opened permitting the plunger 66 to return which may be supplemented by spring action and as the sleeve is lowered the member 25 being overweighted at the end 29 will drop by gravity to the release position shown in Figure 1.

I claim:

1. A steering rudder comprising a body section mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, a wing section hinged to said body section on an axis extending laterally to `and through said vertical axis, means to swing the sections about the vertical axis, and means including a fixed rack element, a pinion meshing therewith, lsaid pinion fixed to the wing section coaxial with the lateral hinge axis of the wing section to swing the wing section about its lateral axis as both sections are swung about said vertical axis so that the leading surface of the wing section will move toward the leading surface of the body section.

2. A steering rudder as in claim 1 wherein said rack is circular and positioned around said vertical shaft.

3. A steering rudder as in claim 2 wherein means are carried by saidvcircular rack and engageable with said vertical shaft to lock them together thereby preventing rotation of said pinion as said vertical shaft is rotated.

4. A steering rudder as in claim l wherein interlocking means are between said rack and vertical shaft and secured to one of them thereby preventing rotation of said pinion as said vertical shaft is rotated.

HENRY F. SANDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '715,176 Swan Dec. 2, 1902 2,277,378 Wells Mar. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 174,485 Germany Sept. 22, 1905 

